1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of revolving windmills and more particularly to a windmill structure having a plurality of feathering blades adapted to be automatically set by the motion or direction of the wind via electro-mechanical or electrical interface means.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to employ windmills for converting the strength of the wind to useful power or work. Such a conversion is extremely important in modern times when energy supplies are being recognized as limited and the non-polluting, almost always available source of power in the wind is an important resource to be developed. Formerly, windmills have performed various useful tasks such as pumping water, generating power and operating machinery and the like. Usually, such windmills utilize the well-known vertical plane, horizontal axis windmills which employ rudder means to maintain the fan or blades of the mill facing into the wind so as to maximize power output. In many instances, considerable drag is imposed on the fans, louvers or blades of the windmill as the rotation of the mill causes the blades to meet the oncoming wind stream in a closed position. To avoid this problem, mechanical devices have been employed for moving the blades or vanes into feathering or operating positions; however, such mechanisms themselves are often complex, expensive, unwieldy and ineffecient. Such prior attempts at providing automatic feathering using mechanical means are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,976,396, 3,920,354 and 3,743,848. The mechanical means for positioning the blades or vanes from operating positions normally closing air passage ways through the windmill and in feathering positions so that the air passageways are open to oncoming air are slow in response to change of wind conditions and direction so that the efficiency of the windmill is greatly reduced.
Therefore, there has been a long standing need to provide a wind generator system having an interface means responsive to change of wind direction for operatively positioning or feathering the blades or vanes of a windmill system. The response time should be rapid and sensitivity of change in wind direction must be provided.